1. Study Title
Feasibility and usability evaluation of AnkaSmart! IoT solution to improve sexual and reproductive health conditions of young populations living in Navi Mumbai.
Details of the study
The implementation of an internet of things (IoT) solution is proposed that offers participants the ability to track their menstrual cycle, vital signs, mood, and day-to-day symptoms; access to evidence-based content to educate themselves on a variety of SRH topics; and linkage to care at the earliest. This will be achieved through AnkaSmart! an open access platform, developed with funding from Grand Challenges Canada and their partners. AnkaSmart! is an IoT SRH solution compatible with android mobiles and smart watches that combines a wearable, a mobile App and a website, and is mounted on a secure, cloud platform.
The App is developed with the goal of helping young women and gender-diverse populations in various countries enhance their SRH knowledge and make smart sexual and reproductive choices. The platform provides participants with tools for education, engagement, communication, linkage to care, data management, and predictive analytics, delivering an educational and proactive care-centred solution.
Research Grant supporting the project: Grand Challenges Canada
2. Study Title
Smart app-based (AideSmart!) rapid multiplex screening of sexually transmitted infections(STI)in at risk populations at the point-of-care: A demonstration study in India
Details of the study
Screening for multiple sexually transmitted infections becomes pertinent because at risk populations go unscreened. It is possible to screen for several STIs with multiplex testing. To minimize loss to follow-up, rapid screening by platforms facilitated via a mobile, rapid screening digital app-based program (AideSmart!) will expedite triage of at-risk patients, linkage to confirmatory testing and clinical care, while maintaining patient engagement. We focus our screening to key viral (HPV, HBV) infections, that seem relevant to the sub-populations. For these, novel, biomarker based, rapid, multiplexed POC test devices and duplex point-of-care(POC)test devices, and platform based POC assays, can be integrated to simultaneously screen for multiple infections in less than one hour. If integrated with mobile health-based smart applications and offered by HCPs with phone-based linkages, these devices offer a platform for quality screening, patient engagement, communication, linkages to healthcare, data management, and public health decision making, thus generating a powerful, innovative integrated screening solution.
Research Grant supporting the project:
India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (IC impacts) set up to promote Indo Canadian Collaboration